Locking mechanism for controller-handles.



A. S. CUBITT. LOOKING MECHANISM FOR CONTROLLER HANDLES.

- APPLICATION FILED NOV. 9, 1906. 977,073.

Patented Nov. 29, 1910.

W/ZnesS es: 7 I 07/97? to)" j W; 9 74.6. Cub/Z73 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ARCHIBALD S. CUBI-TT, 0F SGHENECTADY NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR T0 GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

LOCKING 1V!EClElIANISIVI FOR- CONTROLLER-HANDLES.

Specification of Letters Patent: Patented N 29, 1910,

Application filed November 9, 1905. Serial No. 286,506.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ARCHIBALD S. CUBITT, a subject of the .Kingof Great Britain, residing at Schenectady, county of Schenectady, State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Locking Mechanism for Controller-Handles, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention relates to controllers and more particularly to means for preventing the controller handle from being moved too rapidly from its zero position through successive running positions.

The object of the present invention is to improve the construction and mode of oppination of mechanism of the'character speci- The present invention therefore consists in the devices and combination of devices to be hereinafter described and particularly pointed outin the claims. a

One form of the present invention is illustrated inthe accompanying drawing in which,

Figure l is a cross-sectional View showing the upper portion of a controller and a handle to which the present-invention is applied; Fig. 2 is a cross section taken on line 2 2 Fig. 1; Fig. 3. is a view similar to Fig. 2;. some of the parts, however, being shown in different positions; and Fig. 4: shows a handle adapted for movement in both directions from the. off position.

Reference being had to the drawing, 1 indicates the top of a controller casing;'2 a shaft extending through the casing; and 3 a handle for rotating the shaft. This is a usual consruction for controllers having a cylindrical movable element; but it is of course understood that the present invention is applicable to controllers of different types. .The controller handle is made of two parts, an outer shell 4 connected to or formed in the handle proper, and an inner portion 5 having trunnions 6 journaled in bearings 6 of the part 4 so as to have a limited oscillatory motion within said part. The part 4 is preferably made open on its lower side and provided with a detachable plate P which surrounds one of the trunnions on the part 5 and is held to the part 4 by means of a pin 4 This plate permits the ready removal of the .member 5 but serves to hold it in place when the handleis taken from the controller. Near thefree end of the member. 5 is located a dog 5 which is provided with an elongated slot 5 through which a pin 7 passes, the pin being rigidly secured to the member 5. Gravity assisted by a spring 8 tends to hold the nose of the dog 5* in position to engage with the notches or teeth 10 of the rack 9 arranged upon the casing concentric with the shaft 2. A spring 11 arranged between one side'of the member 5 and the interior of the member 4 tends to hold these two members in the relative positions shown in Fig. 2, which is also the position which these two members occupy when the handle is moved in the on direction to bring the controller into a running position. In this position of the parts it is seen that the dog 5 engages with one of the notches 10, thereby locking the controller handle against further forward movement.

In order to release the dog, the controller is moved backward slightly and, by reason of the friction between the contacts of the controller proper, the shaft 2 andtherefore also the member 5 remain stationary. springs 8 and 11 will be compressed and a The pin 12, rigidly secured to the member 4,

strikes against the upper end of the dog 5 and rotates it about the support 7 At the end of the extreme relative movement of part 4: with respect to part 5 the nose of the dog will have been lifted out of the'notch; whereupon the spring 8 comes into play and turns the dog 5 about the pin 12 as a fulcrum as far as the length of the slot 5 will permit, thereby moving the nose of the dog' forward and past the notch with which it previously engaged. When the handle is then again moved forward the dog is free until it engages in the next succeeding notch, whereupon the several steps outlined mustbe repeated. The backward movement of the controller is unretarded since the dog is result. The parts 40 and 50 are in the main the same as the parts 4 and 5 in Figs. 1 to 3, there being, however, a spring 110-011 each side of the part 50 instead of the single spring 11 in the first construction. Instead of a single dog, two dogs 5 are mounted upon the pin 7, the dogs being arranged reversely so that one interlocks with the notches 10 and the other with reversely arranged notches 100. The pin 120, corresponding to the pin 12, is arranged between the upper ends of the two dogs so that when the handle is moved in one direction the pin operates on one dog and when moved in the opposite direction it engages with the other dog. Each -dog is provided with a spring 80, corresponding to spring 8. In the position of the parts shown, the handle is locked in the off position. A slight movement of the part 40 toward the right will lift the lower end of the one dog out of engagement with the notch 10, whereupon the spring will come into play and slide the dog laterally so as to free it from the notch. The controller may then be moved to the left until this dog drops into the second notch. Similarly, if it is desired to move the controllerto the right, the handle is first moved slightly toward the left, lift ing the other dog out of engagement with the first notch of the series 100; whereupon the spring associated with this dog moves it laterally so as to clear the notch and thereby permits the controller to be moved to the right until this dog drops into the second notch. In this construction, also, the handle may be brought to the off position without being retarded, the dogs sliding freely through the notches.

It will now be seen that by the present invention I have produced asimple and positive retarding device which permits the controller to be operated rapidly between running positions but positively stops it in its several running positions. it the same time, because the movable parts are all contained within the controller handle. no change is made in the construction of the controller or in its appearance when equipped in accordance with the present invention.

Although I have shown and described a preferred form of the present invention. I do not desire to be limited to the particular form shown. since in its broader aspects the present inventionmay take various other forms.

IVhat I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States. is.---

1. In a controller, a movable nwmher adapted to be moved in opposite directions from its off position. an operating handle. means for locking said member against movement at one or more points in either direction from the off position, and means for releasing said member operative upon movement of said handle toward the off position.

2. In a controller, a movable member adapted to be moved in opposite directions from its oil position, an operating handle, means for locking said member against movement at one or more points in either direction of movement from the. otf position, and means controlled by a movement in said handle toward the off position for releasing said member.

3. In a controller, a movable member adapted to be moved in opposite directions from its off position, an operating handle, two series of stops, a pair of dogs one of which engages with one series of stops to lock said member against movement in one direction from the off position and the other of which engages with the other series of stops to lock the member against move ment in the opposite direction from the off position, and means for releasing said dogs from said stops operative upon movement of the handle toward the "off position.

4:. In a controller, a movable member adapted to be moved in opposite directions from its off position, an operating handle, two series of stops, :1 pair of dogs one of which engages with one series of stops to lock said member against movement in one direction from the off position and the other of which engages with the other series of stops to lock the member against movement in the opposite direction from the off position, and means controlled by movements of the handle toward the 0d position for releasing said dogs from said stops.

5. In combination, a controller handle, a single pawl carried by the handle and entirely covered thereby, a notched member with which the pawl cooperates to stop the handle at predetermined points in its forward movement, and means operated by the handle during a slight backward movement thereof for releasing said pawl.

G. In a controller, a shaft, an operating handle therefor comprising an arm fixed to the shaft and a second arm pivoted to the first and having a limited movement relative thereto, a notched member, a single pawl carried by the handle, means for moving said pawl into engagement with a notch of said member which is covered by said handle. and means whereby a backward movement of the second arm alone discngages the pawl from said notch.

In witne whereof. l have hereunto set my hand this 8th (la of November. 1905.

Alltllllfi S. CUBITT'.

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BENJAMIN B. lIi LL. Maximum E. 'Wooma-zr. 

